Welcome to the most comprehensive tactical guide for the 2026 Coon Rapids Snowflake Days Medallion Hunt. If you are reading this, you aren’t just looking for a winter walk in the park—you are looking for the prize. You are looking to become part of local legend.

As a local Realtor, I look at our city differently than most. When I drive through neighborhoods, I don’t just see houses; I see plats, easements, topography, and history. I see the hidden corners of Coon Rapids that most residents drive past every day without a second glance. This guide synthesizes over 20 years of hunt history, “clue writer psychology,” and terrain analysis to give you the unfair advantage you need to secure that $500 check.

1. The Cultural Landscape: More Than a Game

To understand the hunt, you have to understand its roots. The Snowflake Days celebration isn’t just a marketing event; it’s a civic ritual that dates back to 1964. It was born from the minds of the Coon Rapids Jaycees and early visionaries like Chuck Austin, the first “Snowflake Marquis,” who wanted to turn a “third-tier suburb” into a hometown with its own identity.

Why does this matter to you, the hunter? Because the clue writers are historians. They love to reference the “Founders,” the “Marquis,” and the “Lions.” They love to hide the medallion in places that echo the city’s growth—old clay holes that made bricks (Al Flynn Park), old rail lines that built the suburbs (Sand Creek), and the water infrastructure that keeps us running (Riverview).

When you are deciphering a clue in 2026, don’t just look at a map. Look at the story of the land. If a clue mentions “bricks,” “film,” or “lions,” you are looking for a historical site, not just a snowbank.

2. The Prime Directive: City vs. County

The single biggest mistake rookies make is searching on the wrong land. The rules are explicit: The medallion is hidden on City of Coon Rapids property.

This acts as a massive filter for your search area. Coon Rapids is a patchwork of land ownership. Large swathes of green space that look like public parks are actually owned by Anoka County, the Three Rivers Park District, or the School District. If you are searching in these areas, you are wasting your time:

• Bunker Hills Regional Park: This is the most common trap. It is Anoka County land. Do not dig here.
• Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park: This is operated by the Three Rivers Park District. It is off-limits for this specific hunt.
• School Playgrounds: Unless a park is jointly operated (like some areas near Sand Creek Elementary), school property is generally out of bounds.

Your 2026 Strategy: Focus exclusively on “City Parks.” Go to the City of Coon Rapids website, pull up the official park map, and cross-reference it with your search area. If it’s a “Regional” park, cross it off.

3. The “Man-Made” Theory: Stop Digging, Start Looking

There has been a distinct shift in the hiding mechanics over the last five years. The days of burying a clear puck six inches deep in a random snowbank are fading. The modern medallion is often attached to something.

Let’s look at the forensic evidence of recent finds:

• 2023 (Moor Park): The medallion was hidden in/on a “Jobox” (a construction storage chest) near Ballfield 2.
• 2021 (Boulevard Park): It was attached to a Fire Hydrant.
• 2015 (Riverwind Park): It was hanging from a Pine Tree.
• 2019 (Water Plant): It was under a birdhouse in a marshy area.

The Strategy: When you enter a search zone, stop looking at your feet and start looking at the infrastructure. Inspect the back of “No Parking” signs. Check the undersides of park benches. Look at the bolts on utility boxes. The medallion is likely magnetized, taped, or velcroed to a man-made object that blends into the environment.

4. Topography Breakdown: The “Big Three”

While the medallion could theoretically be in a small pocket park, history shows a strong bias toward the “Big Three” parks that offer complex terrain and ample parking. Here is my realtor’s analysis of these high-probability targets.

Target Alpha: Sand Creek Park

Sand Creek is the heavyweight champion of hiding spots (2006, 2018, 2024). It is a massive complex that combines manicured athletic fields with wild, rugged trails.

• The Terrain: The key feature here is the creek corridor itself. The trails wind through low-lying areas that are perfect for complex clues involving “bridges,” “water,” or “flow.”
• The Structural Hides: Don’t ignore the hockey rinks and the warming house. In 2006, the medallion was frozen in a bag of ice near the concessions. In 2018, it was near the skating rink and the train junction.
• The Noise Factor: Sand Creek is famous for the train tracks that run along its edge. If a clue mentions “rumbling,” “whistles,” or “iron horses,” get to Sand Creek immediately.

Target Beta: Al Flynn Park (Formerly City Park)

The site of the 2025 find, Al Flynn is dense with history. Named after a former building official, it is the civic heart of the town.

• The “Clay Hole”: The pond at Al Flynn was historically a clay extraction pit for brick-making. Clues often reference “bricks,” “building,” or “foundations” when the medallion is here.
• The Gullies: The 2025 find was in a gully off the trail, under a rock. This park has significant elevation changes (for Coon Rapids, at least) that create natural hiding spots away from the main paths.

Target Gamma: Riverview / Water Treatment Area

This is the choice for the “muddy boots” hunters. It has hosted finds in 2014 and 2019.

• The Industrial Element: Located near the water treatment plant, clues for this location often use industrial metaphors—”filtration,” “pure,” “cleansing,” or “pipes.”
• The Marsh: The terrain here is wetter and wilder. It requires appropriate gear (see below). If the clues seem “dirty” or “rugged,” this is your best bet.

5. Deciphering the Clue Writer: Patterns to Watch

To win, you have to think like the writer. Here are the three most common rhetorical devices used in Snowflake Days clues.

The “Pun-Phonetic” Technique
Writers love puns that rely on phonetics. In 2025, a clue referenced a “gentle push” (a Putt) and “Dalton’s assistant” (Lilli Kay from the show Yellowstone). Combined, they pointed to “Lilly Putt” mini-golf. Action Item: Read every clue out loud. Does a phrase sound like a local business or park name?

The “Negative Geography” Filter
Early clues are often designed to tell you where not to look. In 2025, the phrase “No A’s in the area” meant staying away from the Anoka and Andover borders. Action Item: If a clue says “No buzzing,” avoid the Blaine border. If it says “No Friars,” avoid the Fridley border.

The “Double Meaning”
Words like “Court,” “Diamond,” and “Field” are traps. They rarely refer to the sport itself. A “Diamond” might refer to a baseball field, but it could also refer to a shape on a sign or a “precious” historical figure. Always look for the secondary meaning.

6. Gear Guide: Do Not Go Unprepared

This is Minnesota. It will be cold, and if you are doing it right, you will be off-trail.

• The Probing Rod: Do not use a shovel for your initial search; you will look suspicious and damage the park. Use a fiberglass driveway marker. It’s light, non-destructive, and lets you “feel” the difference between a rock, a root, and a plastic puck.
• Footwear: Muck boots are non-negotiable. As we saw in the Riverview finds, you may be stepping into marshy areas that don’t freeze solid.
• Lighting: The clues drop at 8:00 AM, but the serious hunting happens after work in the dark. A high-lumen headlamp is essential for spotting the reflective tape often used on the medallion.

7. Real Estate & The Hunt: A Local Perspective

I spend my days analyzing property values, school districts, and neighborhood trends in Coon Rapids. One thing I tell my clients is that the quality of a neighborhood is often defined by its parks. The fact that we have a community engaged enough to trudge through snow for a week looking for a plastic puck speaks volumes about the spirit of Coon Rapids.

Whether you are looking to buy a starter home near the active trails of Sand Creek or a forever home on the quiet cul-de-sacs near Wintercrest, I can help you navigate the market. I know these neighborhoods because I walk them, I map them, and yes, I hunt them.

If you are thinking of making a move in 2026, let’s grab coffee (after the medallion is found, of course). I can give you the “Insider’s Guide” to the housing market just like I’ve given you the guide to this hunt.

Final Tip: Keep an eye on the “Cooler Crew” forums and the local Facebook community groups. The “Hive Mind” often solves the riddle days before the medallion is physically found.